Match Preview: Barnet v Exeter City

Barnet: The Bees seem to have turned a corner, following three good results in the space of a week. Martin Allen’s side recorded a convincing win over York City (3-1) in their last match at The Hive, before putting an end to a poor run of results away from home. Barnet drew with Hartlepool (1-1) in an exciting midweek encounter, before beating Oxford United in a 3-2 thriller at the Kassam Stadium. John Akinde now has three goals in three matches, while Josh Clarke has performed well since arriving from Brentford. With new signing Nicky Bailey yet to make his debut for the Bees, things seem to be looking up for Barnet.

Martin’s View: “It’s a really exciting game to be involved in on Saturday. They’re a good team. They absolutely battered Cambridge, even though the score was only 1-0. It’s a good club with a good manager and good players. I hope that the last week has made our supporters happier. I’m hoping that they’re going to create a great atmosphere on Saturday.”
You can watch more from Martin Allen’s pre-match interview here.

Exeter City: Seven places separate the Grecians and the Bees, with Exeter currently lying 11th in the table. The Devon club have won once in the last five games, and have only secured victory on the road twice this season. City’s biggest problem has been consistency; while their home form has been good, they last won back-to-back matches in the middle of September.

In The Dugout: Paul Tisdale is the 2nd longest serving manager in the top four divisions. The former Southampton midfielder had a short but nomadic playing career, appearing for FinnPa in Finland, and Greek side Panionios. Tisdale progressed to management after injury forced him into early retirement. Four promotions and an FA Cup run with Team Bath prompted Exeter to offer him the manager’s job at St James’ Park – the Valetta-born coach hasn’t looked back, and is still in the hot seat over nine years later. In that time Tisdale has won promotion from the Conference in 2008, and followed that up with promotion from League Two the following year.

Dangerman: Exeter City’s David Wheeler has found his goal scoring boots this season, putting the ball in the net seven times in all competitions. The 25-year-old winger began his senior career at Lewes, where he amassed over 100 appearances in the Conference and Conference South. A move to Staines Town followed in 2011, where 25 goals in 75 games convinced Paul Tisdale to bring him to St James’ Park. Wheeler has been a regular in the side since joining the Grecians in 2013, and has already equalled his goal tally for the whole of last season.

Last Meeting: Barnet’s last game against Exeter City was an away match in December 2012. The Bees found themselves two goals down, thanks for first half strikes from Danny Coles and Scot Bennett. However Edgar Davids’ side launched a comeback in the second period. John Nurse pulled one back on 76 minutes, before Andy Iro equalised in the final minute of the game. Former Barnet striker John O’Flynn played the full match for Exeter, who went on to finish 10th that season.

Ticket Details: You can book tickets in advance of the game online here, or by phone on 020 8381 3800. Tickets can be bought on the day of the match, but only at the Ticket Office. It is recommended to arrive early to avoid queues. Please note: concession tickets for the South Terrace are only available in advance of tomorrow’s game.

Travel: You can get to and from The Hive by taking our Shuttle Bus service. To find out more and check the bus timetable, click here.

Food & Drink: Grazioli’s Bar (under the West Stand) will be open from 12:30, and will be serving our range of top quality burgers. Chelsea v Liverpool is the televised early kick-off on Saturday, so why not head down to the ground early and enjoy a pre-match beer before the game?

Prize Draw: Tickets for the Amber Triple Chance Draw are available for just £1. You could win a guaranteed first prize of £200, a £300 Jako voucher in our monthly draw, and be entered in an end-of-season draw for a year’s free Bees Membership! You can get tickets from our sellers around the ground.

Follow The Match: If you can’t get to The Hive, you can listen to full commentary of the match on Bees Player HD. We’ll also have live twitter updates throughout the game here, and a match report & post-match reaction on barnetfc.com.